This invention relates to a process for the production of phenol silicoformate resinous compounds by chemically reacting a silicoformic acid with a phenol compound while heating the mixture in the presence of an alkali catalyst, thereby producing a phenol silicoformate compound which is then heated with an aldehyde, thereby producing an aldehyde phenol silicoformate resinous compound.
The silicoformic acid used in this process may be produced by the chemical reaction of a dry alkaline earth metal metasilicate or a dry alkali metal metasilicate with a mineral acid or a hydrogen salt, as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,956,466 and 3,962,111 and by other methods such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,674,430 and 3,937,782.
The silicoformic acid used in this process was analyzed by several methods. On chemical analysis of the washed and air dried silicoformic acid using hydroflouric acid, it contained 90% silicon dioxide, 5% water and 5% salt. The molecular weight studies were done by adding silicoformic acid to a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and calculating the elevation in boiling point. This method gave a molecular weight of 78 .+-. 25 gm/mol which indicates that it is of a small molecular weight and not a polymeric form of silicate. This type of reactive solution normally changes the molecular species and probably changes the silicoformic acid to orthosilicoformic acid (H.sub.4 SiO.sub.3). When orthosilicoformic acid loses H.sub.2 O by dehydration, silicoformic acid is formed. The silicoformic acid was analyzed by Infrared Analysis and was found to be similar in nature to the Mallinckrodt's hydrated silica, SiO.sub.2 .multidot.xH.sub.2 O, except for the presence of Si-H bonds which gave a definite absorption peak at 615 cm.sup.-1. There may also be a small amount of hydrated silica present. Further evidence of the Si--H bonds are shown by the ability of the said compound to reduce an aqueous solution of silver nitrate. The silicoformic acid has the chemical properties of a weak acid and readily reacts chemically with alkali metal hydroxides and is readily soluble in dilute alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solutions.
Phenol silicoformate compounds will chemically react with diisocyanates, dicarboxyl acids and anhydrides, ketones, furans and aldehydes to produce useful resinous compounds which may be dissolved in organic solvents such as acetic acid and may be used as a coating agent to protect wood. Phenol silicoformates may be used as fillers in paints and varnishes. The aldehyde phenol silicoformates may be used as molding powders then heated to the softening point and molded into useful objects such as tool handles, ash trays, etc. The alkdehyde phenol silicoformate resins may be used as casting resins by pouring the said liquid resin into a mold and continuing to heat until an insoluble solid resin is formed, thereby producing useful objects. Solutions of aldehyde phenol silicoformate resins may be used as adhesives, paints, varnishes, impregnants and laminates.